Nick Naylor is a big-toothed, square-jawed spin-doctor for Big Tobacco, a job he loves. Aaron Eckhart gives an amusing performance in Thank You For Smoking as the amoral and manipulating character, based on a book by Christopher Buckley. He relishes in keeping lung cancer ridden men quiet and slickly confusing classes of children into making up their own minds about cigarettes by trying them out themselves. It’s not paying the mortgage that drives him though – rather he is a sucker for a challenge and a good debate.

Damn Arms and INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONSPIRACY at the Bar On The Hill 9/04/2006

The Knife

Rabid/EMI

The Exploders

EMI

DVD, 2006

Kokoda
Alister Greirson
(Palace Films, M)

by Joshua Callinan

Kokoda holds a special place in Australian history.
“Kokoda” now holds a special place on the big screen.

This is the first movie based on the tale of Kokoda and in his debut feature film, Grierson has done a tremendous job in turning the famous WWII battlefield into a central character of the story he tells and not just a scene for a history lesson.

by Carl Dixon

About two years ago web-based Indie bibles like Pitchfork Media (dot com if you’re not yet “down with it”) decreed a Norwegian named Annie to be the pop star you’re allowed to like, even love. Now all this time later the printed press, right here right now, is going to reinforce those motions, but with a degree less hyperbole.

When you view the latest Jim Henson film “Mirror Mask” you enter a dream world overflowing with graphics, sets and costumes so elaborate and vibrant that every moment is a different flavoured candy for the eyes and all absolutely mesmerising.

Directed by Dave McKean who also collaborated with Neil Gaiman to write the script, “Mirror Mask” kicks of with the rather romantic concept of a girl named Helena (Stephanie Leonidas) who wishes she could run away from her family’s circus and join real life. Directly after Helena starts an angst ridden argument with her mother the woman falls ill. Helena is convinced this is her fault and enters her dreamland where the White Queen has fallen into a sleep and won’t wake, the balance between dark and light has been broken in the kingdom and the Black Queen is wrecking havoc on the land’s people. Befriended by the comical and somewhat dubious Valentine (Jason Barry) Helena sets out to find the Mirror Mask, which is rumoured to have the power to restore the kingdom to its rightful order.

These two albums are a must hear for anyone who likes their revolutionary hip hop. Immortal Technique was born in Peru and moved to Harlem where, like so many others in the poor black and hispanic community, he turned to crime to get out of the ghetto. However something snapped and changed this perceptive man's view of the situation he was in, I am guessing in the lead up to and especially during a stint in prison he refers to in one of his tracks. Technique refers to a 'mentality implanted in us'; a 'ghetto- bred capitalistic mental' whereby people turn to drug dealing, prostitution and robbery to get a better standard of living for themselves in a coutry with a virtually non existent welfare system. But Technique, who I must emphasize was quite the 'gangsta' realised that trying to get out of the ghetto through crime not only fed the racist media propogated myth that blacks or hispanics are a more barbaric, crime prone people; it was also futile to try and escape capitalism through capitalism; by trying to escape one form of robberry and exploitation by practicing and subjecting yourself to another form of it. So he became a revolutionary.

DVD, 2006

Dir: Roger Mitchell

(Hopscotch/Roadshow, M)

Country reduced to its essence. “Where Am I Now” – questions posed, unanswered; slurred stories interspersed with personal recollections and the persistent search for meaning. “I Cry Everyday”, with its relaxed, end-of-night swing and tired but emotion-filled vocals. Suit Yourself is a classic relaxed country album with the integrity and easygoing flow to appeal, leaving the horrors of Western jingles behind in favour of pure good music.